In commemoration of the second year anniversary of Step-Up for Women In Journalism Initiative (SWIJ), Alice Onukwugha and Aniefon Dick write of the accomplishments of the organistion and its future goals.
Not satisfied with her accomplishments in journalism, award-winning freelance investigative journalist, Precious Ahiakwo was thinking of how to improve her skills and find more opportunities to maximise career growth in 2022 when she learnt of the Step-up For Women In Journalism Initiative (SWIJ) and joined the group.
She wanted to “up her game, learn and unlearn” how to achieve more in her journalism career.
Looking back, SWIJ has proved to be the right platform Ahiakwo needed having received and explored numerous opportunities and fellowships through the organisation which has enabled her to have a new sense of purpose in the profession.
“Big thanks to the founders of this great initiative for this great and timely opportunity. The love and unity are out of this world and the knowledge and new horizons gained are a lot. I’m really glad to be part of this great family and initiative,” Ahiakwo said in an interview on the second anniversary of SWIJ.
Ahiakwo is one of the members of SWIJ whose desire for enhanced professional media training, mentoring and networking opportunities has been met by the organization.
Based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, SWIJ which clocked two years on August 31 has recorded significant milestones in mentoring and coaching female journalists within the South-South and South-East zones of the country
The group was founded by an award-winning journalist, Ann Godwin after six- months of participation in the Female Reporters and Leadership Programme (FRLP) 2021- 2022 cohort by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, with the support of her seasoned mentor, Lekan Otufodunrin, the Executive Director of Media Career Development Network.
From the initial membership of 17 persons, SWIJ now has over 60 members and the majority of them are based in Rivers State, while some are based in Lagos, Edo, Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Bayelsa States. The membership is made up of experienced, mid-career, young and student female journalists among whom are seven PhD and several Master’s Degree holders.
The vision of the initiative is to be a renowned brand that promotes excellence among female journalists in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria through quality training, nurturing and mentoring in media practice, while the mission is to develop the capacity of female journalists, build newsroom champions that will break the stereotypes, the glass ceilings and make global impact in the Journalism and also project journalism as a respected and noble profession.
According to Godwin who is the Executive Director of the group, the initiative was borne out of the desire to enable female journalists to grow their journalism careers, believe in themselves, network and explore the potentials in them. While noting that many women are brilliant and talented, she said they are not growing in their careers because they lack the necessary push, support and networking.
She is glad that two years on, SWIJ has achieved the desired goals based on the testimonies of members of the group.
Blessing Ita a freelance journalist and SWIJ member, attests to having a fulfilling career after her encounter with the Executive Director of SWIJ in 2021, who mentored and assisted her to work with Energy Times Newspaper as the Marketing and advertising Executive in Rivers State.
Among others, Ita said several giant strides had been accomplished through Godwin’s leadership ability for training and academic advancement programs viz-a-viz: Seminars, Conferences, Skill Acquisition Training, Insightful and, Educative Workshop Programs as well as connecting members to job opportunities.
“I celebrate and appreciate all affiliate Media Professional Partners, and their immense contributions to the success of this vibrant organisation: “Step-Up Media”, by expanding its frontiers to cover quality Journalism reportage in Nigeria and beyond,” Ita stated.
A Broadcast Journalist with Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC), Port Harcourt, Dr. Ijeoma Tubosia said Step Up Media has helped her experience substantial social, economic and political changes in her journalism career in the last two years of being part of the organization.
“Alongside promoting core task performance by providing members with more declarative and procedural knowledge to complete their task successfully. The organization has indeed fostered an increase in professionalism among members and am happy to be part of this moving train.”
She urged other organizations including institutions of higher learning, government organisations, corporate bodies, and business associations, to partner with Step Up Media to further move it to an enviable height.
For Biebara Confidence, a Correspondent at Kristina Reports, “Step-Up for Women In Journalism Initiative is a platform that any woman in the media should reckon with.”
Through the initiative, she said she has received free access to opportunities to attend trainings and workshops. “It’s a platform that mentors young women in journalism like me to do more and be more. Particularly it has left me with the winning mentality and that mentality has earned me an award – The Journalist of the Year, 2023Trendsetter’s award. I’m happy to be part of this amazing organisation and I hope it keeps growing and impacting more women.”
Godwin who was the first prize winner of the leadership prize in the FRLP said there’s so much for women to achieve when they believe in themselves and connect to the right platforms and that is what SWIJ is doing.
“Undoubtedly, there is so much talent in women. A lot of women are highly gifted, brilliant and determined but due to a lack of training and retraining, direction, appropriate networking and perhaps, someone to give them lifting hands, they remain backstage.
“We affirm the Feminist ideology which makes women believe that there’s strength in them and makes them keep pushing to become more visible and joyful. We are witnessing the desired results and impacts.”
At Step Up, the Executive Director says female journalists are made to think outside the box, work and grow to fulfil career purposes, fill the leadership space and contribute to nation-building.
In the last two years of SWIJ, the platform has provided training opportunities, jobs and mentoring for female journalists thus enhancing their capacity and expanding their horizons. It has also trained about 150 female students of the Mass Communication Department at Rivers State University.
Some of its members have stepped up to become facilitators, and mentors to young media professionals. In June 2022, some members of the team, including Dr. Hannah Amah, Dr. Racheal Onah and the Executive Director were engaged to facilitate and train young media professionals in the South-South and South-East Zone by the African Foundation For Young Media Professionals with Support from MacArthur Foundation.
SWIJ has also organized Free training on Pitching, Investigative Reporting, Social Media Usage, Reporting Sexual and Gender Base Violence, and Enhancing the capacity of Women through Reporting.
Godwin was selected this year as a faculty member for the South-South, South-East Training for Young Media Professionals by AFYMP. Some members have also won journalism awards.
Stressing the need for the kind of support her group offers journalists, Godwin said Journalism today has gone beyond merely writing stories adding that it requires diverse skills in various aspects of reporting.
“The platform provides training, job opportunities and support members to grow as well as career counselling. We push ourselves hard to get the desired result. We teach ourselves to be disciplined, focused, resilient and develop the tenacity to succeed.”
But for lack of adequate funding, the group would have been able to implement more lofty ideas, projects and training for more female journalists and it’s hoping to get the support of sponsors, funders and partners in the years ahead.
“We have enjoyed some goodwill from organisations. While the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has been our mother hen, the Media Career Development Network and African Foundation for Young Media Professionals have been quite supportive. We have enjoyed the partnership with The Tonye Princewill Trust and Advancing Women in Business but we look forward to making greater impacts. So, we need encouragement and donations from donor agencies, organizations and partners to support the vision of promoting excellence among female journalists”, she explained.
Otufodunrin who says he is very proud to be associated with SWIJ commended the dedication and zeal with which Godwin has driven the vision of the platform since its launch two years ago.
“I have been involved in the Wole Soyinka Female Reporters Leadership Programme for more than four years and I can say that this is one of the very few leadership programmes that have endured and it’s a tribute to the commitment of the leader of the group, Godwin and members who have been involved. I can see a lot of energy; I can see a lot of deliberate efforts to ensure that it is working. I can see networking at its best and I commend you all.”
While also adding his voice to the call for institutional support for SWIJ to be able to meet the increasing demands for its programmes and activities, Otufodunrin urged the members to share their knowledge and skills with other female journalists within the group.
“The group should in its way make up for the gaps in media skills in the media in Rivers and South-South and South East because not every journalist that desires will be invited for all the training that members have participated in.”
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